Shareholder Centre

Nod as good as a wink to a blind ASIC interviewer ELIZABETH KNIGHT

A nervous eye twitch, a loosening of the collar, shifting in one's chair - it's the body language of dishonesty or evasiveness. The science of detecting misinformation or recognising omission can be lucrative.

A nervous eye twitch, a loosening of the collar, shifting in one's chair - it's the body language of dishonesty or evasiveness. The science of detecting misinformation or recognising omission can be lucrative.

The Fox network anchored a successful television series around the character of psychologist Cal Lightman, whose clients are typically government agencies who analyse mannerisms to detect emotions such as fear, anger, joy and, of course, dishonesty.

It's not just a Hollywood creation. This show is a good example of art (I use the term loosely) imitating life.

In the US, consulting group Business Intelligence Advisors offers just this type of service to analysts and investors. Its consultants are typically drawn from US intelligence agencies such as the CIA and the FBI and their value-add is to educate those in the financial information business to better interpret messages from companies in which they invest or which they analyse.

The group is making quite an impression, having been the subject of a Harvard Business School study, and a bit on the international speaking circuit with discussions about "the hidden meaning in corporate disclosure". It's not that surprising. Getting the edge on the quality of information allows better investment calls for analysts and shareholders. Information equals power equals money.

On the other side of the coin, the investor relations professionals and public relations practitioners who manage corporate communications are growing disciplines whose services are increasingly relied on. Presenting and managing the message is a large part of the corporate game.

This explains why the allegations around selective leaks by gold company Newcrest a few weeks ago has gained import and momentum.

The investor relations industry is paranoid about the image it projects and even more nervous that the backlash could involve the prohibition of individual briefings with investors or analysts.

Behind the scenes, the investor relations industry is keen to present Newcrest as more of a one-off botch-up than evidence of any systemic problem with the information relationship between companies and analysts or large investors.

Newcrest briefed investment banking analysts in the week leading up to a general ASX announcement on a profit and production downgrade. This hamfisted attempt at massaging market expectations was at the extreme end of poor communications management and prompted one investor (who was tipped off by an investment bank) to complain to the company. A copy of the fund manager's email was published in the Financial Review.

The tip-off was so explicit it's worth repeating. The email recommended that Mr (Prasad) Patkar "stay short" on Newcrest on the basis that the banking contact's colleague had "met with mgmt [management] to gain siting [sic] on potential FY2014 production outlook. Bottom line: FY2014 production downgrades".

Also detailed was the fact that production in 2014 was likely to be about 2.25 million ounces of gold, instead of the 2.6 million ounces the market had been expecting, and net profit would fall by 15-20 per cent.

How much more smoke does the regulator need to see from that gun?

Apparently this is still not enough, which means the Australian Securities and Investments Commission doing something about less overt and more routine hosing down of profit expectations for it be a bridge too far.

Instead ASIC has decided to undertake spot checks on analyst meetings, at which clearly none of the participants will be inclined to stay close to the line. Apparently ASIC already sits in on some broader briefings, so its announcement this week seems all the more tepid. The regulator is also said to be undertaking an investigation but experts don't hold out much hope this will come to anything.

Newcrest is doing an internal investigation but its chairman has already said the company has done nothing wrong, so I guess we know the outcome already.

The investor relations lobby is now pointing a finger at the investment banks as the weak link in the communications chain, saying that the wave of sackings over the past three to five years has resulted in analyst churn and inexperience. It also maintains that having ASIC crash meetings will be detrimental to communications between investors/analysts and companies.

Maybe ASIC should sign up for a session with the experts from Business Intelligence Advisors so they can read the furrowed brows or folded arms while interviewing those involved in the Newcrest bungle.

IMPORTANT: This information has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs and you should consider if the information is appropriate for you before making an investment decision. Unless otherwise specifically stated or disclosed (such as the InvestSMART Diversified Portfolios Product Disclosure Statement), neither InvestSMART Financial Services Pty Ltd nor any of its Related Companies make any recommendations as to the merits of any investment opportunity referred to in its emails or its related websites. Product disclosure statements for financial products offered through InvestSMART can be downloaded from this website or obtained by contacting 1300 880 160. You should consider the product disclosure statement before making a decision about the product. All indications of performance returns are historical and can not be relied upon as an indicator for future performance.